The last playoff game the Denver Broncos participated in, they won Super Bowl 50. That was nine years ago.
With rookie quarterback Bo Nix leading the charge, the 2024-25 Broncos (6-5) are on the doorstep of delivering the franchise its long-awaited playoff return.
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The Broncos bolstered their postseason chances on Sunday in a 38-6 rout of the NFC South-leading Atlanta Falcons, leaving Denver with a one-game lead over the Indianapolis Colts in the race for the third and final wild-card spot in the AFC playoffs with six games remaining.
Denver’s dominance Sunday was made possible by Nix’s best performance yet as a professional. He dismantled the Atlanta secondary by completing 28 of his 33 passes (84.8%) for 307 yards and four touchdowns (all career highs) with no interceptions. And he wasted no time getting started.
Nix led his team down the field on the game’s opening drive, capping it with a 12-yard touchdown toss to tight end Nate Adkins.
Wide. Open.
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/iLJAARRNKt
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 17, 2024
Nix put the game out of reach with 9:03 left in the fourth quarter when he launched a pass deep across the middle to receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who took it the rest of the way for a 41-yard score.
.@LJ_Humphrey23 breaks free for the 41-yard TD!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/E3Y6P4obUo
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 17, 2024
By the end of the game, Nix had become the first rookie quarterback in NFL history with four touchdown passes, no interceptions, more than 300 passing yards, and a completion percentage higher than 80% in a single game.
His 145.0 quarterback rating on Sunday was by the far the best of his 11 NFL games so far, and his 84.8% completion percentage was the third-highest by a rookie quarterback in a game (minimum 30 attempts) in NFL history, trailing only Dak Prescott (88.9%) and fellow rookie Jayden Daniels (86.7).
“I think that he’s certainly settled in,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said of Nix after Sunday’s game. “Our third down, red zone, there were a lot of things he did really well tonight. … Our league, you’re learning each week, and then pretty soon you’re like, ‘I belong here.’ It’s clear he belongs here.”
Nix didn’t credit himself for his career-best performance but rather reflected on the gift it is to be an NFL player.
“When I woke up this morning I thought, ‘Each day you get to go out there on the field and play for a team, for a franchise, who believes in you and an organization that does so much for you,'” Nix said in his press conference. “Sometimes you just wake up ready to roll, and it’s a blessing to be in my spot — be in my shoes.”
Nix’s perspective is rooted ultimately in his faith in Christ, which he displays on game days by drawing a cross on his left wrist tape, wearing numerous faith-based wrist bands, and wearing a right thigh pad imprinted with a cross. He has discussed his faith publicly for years, including after his first collegiate start at Auburn in 2019 and then later when he transferred to Oregon.
Nix grew up attending church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night, and the faith that was instilled in him from a young age deepened as he became Alabama’s “Mr. Football” and one of the most sought-after high school quarterbacks in the country.
It seemed like destiny that Nix would follow in his father’s footsteps and star at quarterback for Auburn, but injuries, coaching changes and inconsistent play led to his benching as a junior.
“It’s just, unfortunately, inside the white lines didn’t go how I wanted it to,” Nix told the Oregonian last December. “For my goals and aspirations, I felt like I had to make a change solely for that. I’ve always said Auburn was still some of the greatest years of my life. I met my wife (Izzy) and I was meant to be at Auburn for that time, but at the same time, God doesn’t promise us we’re going to get everything we want and we’re going to go and have all the success.”
When announcing his decision to enter the transfer portal in a video posted to social media in December 2021, Nix pointed to his trust in God’s plan.
“I don’t know what the next chapter of my life looks like, but I do know that whatever it is, God has ordered my steps and He has a plan for me like He does for everyone else,” he said.
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Later that month, God answered Nix’s uncertainties. He was headed to Oregon.
His second and final season with the Ducks saw them vying for a spot in the four-team College Football Playoff all season before falling just short and ending up in the Fiesta Bowl, where Nix played and led his team to a 45-6 win against Liberty. After losing to Washington in the Pac-12 Conference Championship Game, Nix offered the same eternal perspective for which he’s becoming known.
“I know tomorrow the sun will come up, and the Lord will still be sitting on the throne,” Nix said that night, according to The Oregonian.
His impressive super-senior season made him a Heisman Trophy finalist, and although he didn’t win, his play was rewarded by the Broncos when they made him the No. 12 overall selection in April’s NFL Draft.
Nix was asked in his introductory press conference about how he dealt with the adversity he faced while at Auburn.
“For me, it’s really easy,” Nix said. “My faith is really important to me. I’ve always been a faith-based person. I believe that God has a plan for me and my life. I truly believe that He has set this path in front of me, and He put me here in Denver for a reason.
“… You just have to trust and believe that His plans are higher than your ways. So that’s what I truly believe. I’m a perfect example of that. If you haven’t seen it already, you can look at my story and know that He has an individual plan for each one of our lives. He sets it out in front of us, and all we have to do is follow.”
Two of Nix’s favorite Bible verses are Colossians 3:23 and John 16:33, which both deal with applying an eternal perspective to life’s sometimes difficult circumstances.
Patience in the face of adversity is indeed something Nix learned all too well in college, so when he faced it again in the NFL, he knew God held him secure and had a plan for his ultimate good.
Nix’s first two NFL starts were both losses. In them, he threw zero touchdowns and four combined interceptions. Since then, he’s thrown 14 touchdowns and two interceptions, Denver has gone 6-3, and his name is being mentioned in Offensive Rookie of the Year conversations.
“We want things immediately and sometimes that’s not how it works,” Nix told the Oregonian last December. “I know, from the stuff you’ve been through, the stuff you go through, the Lord’s got a plan for your life. And at the end of the day, everything you do, everything you work for, patience is an important attribute to have.”
He added, “I’m not playing the game just because of football and for wins and losses and for all this fame or glory. It’s [that] God’s presented me with the opportunity, He’s given me a gift and I want to use it to influence other people.”
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With a patient heart and an eternal perspective, Nix will lead the Broncos on the road this Sunday in a divisional game against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-8). The game is set for 4:05 p.m. ET.
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